Monday Musings: 03.28.2011 Edition March 28, 2011

We’re still in winter mode at the Public Market here in Rochester – soon we’ll be watching for some of our spring favorites, though. Local asparagus, ramps, and eventually garlic scapes should all be making an appearance in the next month or so. But until then, we’ve still got onions and sweet potatoes, plus some nice broccoli and a huge bag of spinach.

I guess you could say we were feeling the pressure a bit this weekend. (Ha!)

We are in love with cooking beans in the pressure cooker, so when I picked up a pack of flour tortillas Saturday, I knew it was time to make some more burritos – it’s so convenient to keep a dozen or so stashed in the freezer for lunches or even quick dinners.

And of course, canning a batch of chicken stock is never a bad thing, either – and this may have been my best batch yet!

We were shopping this week, and I saw the cutest little mousy-birds for the kitty.

Not that she doesn’t have enough toys, mind you, but most of the good ones (the ones with feathers) are all dog-slobbered. And, not surprisingly, she’s not all that interested in them after they’ve been in his mouth. (Even once they’ve dried!)

We can always tell when he’s extra tired – he crosses his legs when he naps. All of them.

He does have some big feet, doesn’t he?

We stopped at the liquor store – Peeps had finished the vodka in the pie crust he made for me last week, so we wanted to replenish that before the next time I made pie (or vodka cream sauce).

Do you remember when vodka was, well, just vodka? We actually had a hard time finding just plain, un-colored, vodka-flavored vodka. Citron, raspberry, grapefruit, cranberry, grape, double espresso, green tea, apple. . . then they apparently ran out of flavors and just started calling them by their colors – blue, purple.

But my favorite has got to be the “dude” flavor. What does a dude taste like, anyway?

I’m still working on my 101 Things – and with regard to #55, the word for this week is. . . G. Gadzookery. Okay, this one just cracks me up – it’s the use of archaic words and expressions. Like, you know, “gadzooks!” So let’s all sally forth and use some language!

Speaking of language. (How was that for a lead-in? Ha.)

Ages ago, I happened upon the Grammar Girl and her Quick and Dirty Tips, and I absolutely loved her!

This week I discovered that she offered a podcast, and, well, I’ve gone ahead and subscribed. After all, there’s no reason not to use dog-walking time for something constructive, right?

And once again, it’s time for the weekly menu plan. Isn’t it funny how the weather affects our meal plan? I keep hoping the snow will be gone for good soon, but until it is, we’ve got plenty to keep us occupied in the kitchen!

Monday – Since I scored a giant bag of spinach at the market this weekend, one of the first things I need to do is use it. We’ve got plenty of dried beans on hand, including chick peas, and as it turns out, spinach and chick peas are a classic combination in several cuisines. This time, we’re going with the Spanish espinacas con garbanzos – we’ve got the beans all cooked, and we’re ready to go.

Tuesday – The Boy asked about a broccoli and chicken dish I used to do when he was small. We’ve got plenty of chicken in the freezer, and broccoli was plentiful at the market, so, well, why not? Any time your kid asks for broccoli, it’s just good practice to give it to him, no matter how old he is, right?

Wednesday – We don’t have swim class this week, but by this time of the week, we start to like the idea of just sticking something yummy in the slow cooker and not worrying about it. Peeps wanted to do some red beans and rice, which will fill the bill quite nicely.

Thursday – And if there’s anything better than throwing something in the Crockpot, it’s slapping it on the grill. We’re enjoying a practically meatless week (well, except the chicken, but that’s really mostly broccoli), so I thought it might be a nice treat for the guys to grill some strip steaks. Keep your fingers crossed for the weather – currently the forecast calls for 40’s and (maybe) rainy.

Friday – And finally, it’s pizza night! Since we’ve got plenty of spinach, I also picked up some feta cheese – again, The Boy asked if he could have a spinach and feta pizza. I may even join him!

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Do you have a tutorial on how to use a pressure cooker? I have one and am afraid to use it (think paralyzing fear.) I have heard that it is awesome for beans and for cooking collards.
If you want nicer weather for bbq, you could trundle on down to Texas. I will gladly share my sunshine with you in exchange for a lesson in pressure cooking. 🙂

Oh, the pressure cooker is Super Awesome for beans! Do you have the owner’s manual for it? There are so many safety measures on the modern pressure cooker, I don’t think you could hurt yourself if you tried! (Don’t try, though . . . ) I like the information available at Hip Pressure Cooking – she does a nice job explaining how the pressure cooker works and how to use it.

And I’ll keep the offer of sunshine in mind. . . gosh this snow is getting old!

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About the ToyLady

About me. Hmm. Nothing exciting, for sure. Work full time as a paralegal and this is my lame attempt to "get a life." I said it was lame, didn't I?
Seriously, I have opinions on just about everything. . . from food to politics to common courtesy to childrearing. . .
I guess, like any other writing, we'll just have to see where this takes us, huh?

About Peeps

I'm the boring part of the team. That's okay, though. I don't mind. My wife is really the star. That's why I married her.